Hult Center showcases work of contemporary Klamath Modoc artist in new exhibition

Eugene, OR – A new gallery space at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts features artwork by Ka’ila Farrell-Smith, a contemporary Klamath Modoc visual artist.

The exhibition, titled ‘G’EELA: Land and Creation,’ is on display at the Contemporary Indigenous Art Gallery on the concourse level of the Hult Center through December.

An opening reception will take place from 5-7 p.m. on March 7 during the First Friday ArtWalk.

Presented by Cultural Services and Don Dexter Gallery as part of City Exhibitions, the display includes nine artworks created between 2011 and 2023.

Farrell-Smith’s work reflects her deep connection to her ancestral homelands around Modoc Point, Oregon, and honors the life of her father, Alfred Leo Smith.

The artist’s mixed-media pieces incorporate layers of paint, wild-harvested pigments, text, and stenciled designs. Her work combines contemporary elements with traditional Klamath basket patterns passed down through generations.

The exhibition features a range of artistic approaches, from figurative works like ‘Maq’Laq Sn’Weet’s’ (Klamath Woman) to abstract pieces like ‘tGalam’ (Towards the West), which blends graffiti aesthetics, petroglyphs, and text.

Ghosts in the Machine 019,’ part of her ‘Ghosts in the Machine’ series, utilizes gray scales and wild-harvested Northern Paiute lithium topsoil to critique the environmental impact of lithium mining.